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1000 Island Relish



Soon it will be relish season. I love homemade relish so much, who needs the hot dog, just give me the relish and I am a happy camper. 
This relish brings back sweet memories of canning with my friend Marie when our children were little. When I had my youngest child in August I missed canning season all together. Marie knew that a mom of a new born had no time to can and that it would be the furthest from my mind. That year, she and another friend Frieda, gifted me with an awesome gift. They did all their canning and gifted our family with salsa, tomato sauce, beets, cukes, relish and jam. I couldn't have asked for a better gift, or better friends. 
As my youngest was a busy toddler, I ventured to make relish on my own again. BIG MISTAKE!
I forgot to drain the salt brine with all the hustle and bustle of kids running in and out of the kitchen, the phone ringing, and my dear neighbor popping in for coffee like we often did with one another. I didn't notice this mistake until I went to open my first jar of relish that I was so excited for........oh was I disappointed. 
So the moral of the story is.....DRAIN and RINSE! 
  • 8 large cucumbers, peeled, cut in half and seeded (not english cucumbers unless you grow them yourself)
  • 1 large cauliflower
  • 12 large onions
  • 2 green peppers
  • 2 red peppers
  • 1/2 cup pickling salt
  • 8 cups vinegar
  • 6 cups sugar
  • 4 tablespoons mustard seed
  • 1 tablespoon celery seed
  • 3/4 cup flour (use 1/2 cup cornstarch to make it gluten free)
  • 6 tablespoons dry mustard
  • 2 tablespoons turmeric
  1. Grate the cucumber. 
  2. Seperately put the remaining vegetables in a food process and process until the vegetables are fine dice but not mushy. Be careful and don't over process. First the cauliflower, remove, do the onions in several batches, remove, etc, you get the idea. Or do it by hand if you don't have a processor. 
  3. Cover with salt and leave for a minimum 4 hours or overnight. DRAIN AND RINSE WELL!
  4. In a large pot, mix the sugar with either the flour OR the cornstarch and mix well to avoid any clumping. Slowly add the vinegar stirring until it is well combined. Add the spices and bring to a full boil. Add the well drained vegetables and simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Stirring often so it doesn't stick and burn at the bottom. 
  6. Ladle into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace
  7. Wipe the rim clean, very important or you won't get a good seal. Cover with sterilized lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. 
  8. Excellent for hot dogs or hamburgers. 

16 comments:

  1. Once opened, how long is a jar good for?

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    1. An opened jar around here doesn't last long, but it would last a couple of months.

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  2. Sounds delicious. I am a relish person too!! I have had a zucchini relish that you couldn't tell wasn't cucumbers. Wonder if that would work in place of the cucumbers here?

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    1. I bet it would work with zucchini. If you give it a try let us know how it worked out for you.

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  3. What is the yield approximately? Thanks!!

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    1. That is a good question. I have given so many away I can't honestly say for sure. I know I got quite a 12- 2 cup jars and some smaller ones. Next time I will pay attention.

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  4. Do you leave the mixture in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight? Thank you!

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    1. It can be left in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. I have done it both ways. This particular time I left it overnight.

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  5. This looks like a really good relish recipe. Loved the delightful stories you shared about canning with kids! I might just have to try this relish - I'm in the mood for doing some canning!

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  6. Intrigued by the recipe ---- any thoughts on how to make a dill relish? I'm not a fan of sweet relish and I've been searching for a homemade dill recipe, but to no avail. They all seem to gravitate toward sweet and the advice I receive is to just "chop up dill pickles." I'm not convinced that's all there is to dill relish... {grin}

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    Replies
    1. I just saw a blog post for a dill relish! I will find it and send you the link.

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    2. Valerie, my daughter makes a very dill relish and I will be posting the recipe on August 31. Stay tuned.

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  7. I am new to the "pickling world", would the 3/4 flour in the recipe be 3/4 Cup?
    Love all your recipes and am anxious to try this one.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it would be 3/4 CUP flour or 1/2 CUP cornstarch to make it gluten free. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!

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